Grant: Project Grant

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks myelin, the protective covering around nerve fibers. This damage slows down or blocks nerve signals, leading to problems with movement, thinking, and other functions. While current treatments can slow the disease by preventing new damage, they cannot repair lost myelin or stop the disease from getting worse over time. The brain has special immune cells called microglia that help clean up damage and support myelin repair. However, in MS, these cells can become overactive and stuck in a harmful state, preventing healing. Our research focuses on understanding how microglia switch between helping and harming the brain. We recently discovered a special type of microglia, called "interferon-responsive microglia"(IRM), that appears early in the healing process. We think these cells may play a key role in starting myelin repair. Our goal is to figure out how IRM work, why they don't function properly in MS, and how we can activate them to help repair myelin. To do this, we will study brain tissue from MS patients, test how IRM function in lab models, and compare microglia from people with and without MS. By learning how to control these cells, we hope to develop new treatments that help the brain repair itself and slow down MS progression.